There have been a few changes and subsequent delays over the course of NSNC12, but finally the end is near.

There was some debate over how fair the original loser bracket format was, as it was effectively a back door into the finals without any real handicap to the "winner of the losers" or any advantage to the "winner of the winners".

So we have decided that the losers bracket will only go as far as a Bronze Final match. This leaves us with two finals to be played to wrap up NSNC12 but unfortunately we are out of time this weekend.

The disadvantage of coming from the lower bracket into the final should be that you have to win two maps, while the upper bracket team only has to win one map. That's how it's done in all the big CS tournaments, anyway.

I like lower bracket idea just because it means that teams are more likely to play a clan of their own skill level at some point. This is the first time we've ever had objections to the concept and i'm not entirely sure why :(

If you don't seed matches, the lower bracket has to lead to a final against the upper bracket winner. If not, you risk having the best match in the first round, and the teams who should've been placed 1 and 2 instead end up placed 1 and 5-8.

Seeds 1, 3, 6 and 8 on 1 side of upper bracket, with 2, 4, 5 and 7 on the other.

If you lose you go to lower bracket. Winners of upper bracket play each other to get to finals.

Losers of that match play winner of lower bracket. Losers of this match take bronze, winners go into finals.

To win finals, upper bracket wins one round (and tournament) by knocking the other team out of lower bracket.

Since you can only leave the tournament by losing in lower bracket, the winners of lower bracket must beat the upper bracket finalists not only once to put them in the lower bracket, but twice to then knock them out of tournament totally.

"Since you can only leave the tournament by losing in lower bracket, the winners of lower bracket must beat the upper bracket finalists not only once to put them in the lower bracket, but twice to then knock them out of tournament totally."